1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to aquatic buoys and stop watches, but more particularly to aquatic buoys including timing components such as a stop watch.
2. Description of the Related Art
The art to which the invention relates includes aquatic buoys used to mark shipping and boating lanes or restricted areas in bodies of water. Such buoys are often used in water sports such as boating events where a boat or motorized watercraft travels a predetermined course which is defined by a series of buoys. It is often difficult to determine the time a watercraft completes a course and such timing components may be simply associated with photoelectric eyes which enable the watercraft to start and stop as they pass a photoelectric eye at the start/stop finish line.
Thus, the buoys partially comprising the art to which the invention relates include a floating bulb or buoy component to which an anchor line an anchor is attached. The anchor line and anchor serve to hold the buoy in a predetermined location and prevent movement and thus alteration of the course during a watercraft racing event.
The art to which the invention relates also includes timing devices such as stop watches and those capable of being started and stopped to record the time elapsed during a specific event. Such timing devices are common in racing sports, particularly those that time the driver of the motorcraft to complete a specified course. Such devices are often connected to photoelectric eyes that emit an invisible beam which is broken when the motorcraft (or watercraft) passes through the beam. Passing through the beam therefore starts and stops the timing component of the timer.
During a watercraft race, game, or other timed event involving lap or split times, it is important for the race judges and competitors to accurately determine the time it takes for each racer to complete all or a portion of the course. The inability to accurately determine the split or lap times associated with the watercraft driver's completion of a portion of the course is even more common in informal racing events between individuals who simply enjoy watercraft sports, but require a means to time their performance over a predetermined course.
In the past, the aforementioned timers must be positioned not only at the start/stop line but also must be coordinated in conjunction with a portion of the course in order to provide progressive information as to how the driver of the watercraft is doing in comparison to previously established times or posting a benchmark time. Thus, in order to outfit the race course with photoelectric timing devices can be expensive and somewhat complicated, and not practical for informal events between individuals. Furthermore, other than the practical desire to run a tight course, when recording split or lap times there is nothing to require a watercraft driver to maintain a tight course and turn the corners as quickly as possible during an event.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to invent a timing buoy which is capable of starting and stopping when contacted by a watercraft. Such a device could have a delay such that repetitive start and stop signals normally associated with the contact of a the buoy shell must be spaced apart in time by a predetermined interval in order to avoid false starts and stops. The repetitive delay component of such a timing buoy would allow the timing device to be started and stopped only after the time interval has elapsed. In this way, if the buoy were allowed to bounce beneath the craft as the craft strikes and rides over the buoy, the first contact would either start or stop the timer depending upon the sequence of contacts, allow for false starts and stops.